After a while, Candace walked straight up to Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon, politely addressing the three of them: "Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon, I'm terribly sorry to bother you all."
Shao Yun's gaze fell on Candace.
He noticed that Candace hadn't gone to comfort Jeht, but instead was walking toward him, which made him a bit puzzled.
"What's the matter, Candace? Is there something important you need to discuss with me?"
Candace took a deep breath and spoke directly: "Yes, Mr. Shao Yun. I do have a very urgent matter, and I'd like to ask for your help."
Hearing this, Shao Yun's expression turned curious as he asked, "Oh? What is it?"
Candace pointed toward Jeht not far away, her tone tinged with slight helplessness: "It's about Miss Jeht. Originally, I wanted to invite her to live directly in Aaru Village…"
"After all, this place is the best environment in the desert, and the villagers are all kind and warm. But…"
At this point, Candace paused for a moment and let out a light sigh.
Shao Yun, noticing this, continued the thought for her before she could speak: "But Jeht doesn't want to stay here, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to us seeking help."
Candace nodded, acknowledging Shao Yun's deduction, then continued: "Exactly, Mr. Shao Yun, you guessed it right."
"Jeht said she wants to go to her father's former desert tribe, the 'Tanit' tribe."
Hearing Candace, Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully.
Given his current understanding of the situation, he had roughly guessed why Candace had come to ask for his help.
"So, you want us to escort her to the Tanit tribe? Am I right?"
Candace nodded, showing a gentle smile as she spoke softly: "That's right. As far as I know, the Tanit tribe is located in the Qianhu Sandlands, quite far from Aaru Village."
"Along the way, besides the sandstorms, we also have to watch out for monsters and some ruthless members of the Eremites."
"Right now, I certainly can't leave the village to escort her, so… could I trouble you all?"
Shao Yun furrowed his brow slightly, pondering for a moment, then offered a sincere suggestion based on his own judgment.
"I personally strongly recommend that you try to persuade Jeht to stay in Aaru Village. After all, the environment here is pleasant and peaceful. For a young girl like her, it's as ideal as it gets."
Candace, upon hearing this, couldn't help but share the same thought.
She shook her head helplessly and sighed: "But this little girl, Jeht, is determined to go to the 'Tanit' tribe in the desert."
"She wants to find some 'Eternal Oasis', claiming it's to reunite her parents' souls there for everlasting rest…"
"When I was a child, the elders in the village told me stories about the 'Eternal Oasis'. I always thought it was just a legendary place."
Hearing how determined Jeht was to return her parents' relics to their resting place, Shao Yun had nothing more to say.
After consulting briefly with Lumine and Paimon, Shao Yun decided to help Jeht and escort her to her father's tribe.
"Alright, we agree. When does Jeht plan to leave Aaru Village?" Shao Yun asked Candace.
Candace thought for a moment, then replied: "According to Jeht's own wishes, she'd love to leave immediately."
"No matter what I say, I can't change her mind. I'm at my wit's end! That's why I had to come ask for your help to escort her."
However, Shao Yun absolutely could not agree to Jeht leaving in such an emotional state.
"No, absolutely not! In her current emotional state, she cannot travel. She needs to stay in Aaru Village for a few days and calm down first."
Hearing Shao Yun's firm stance, Candace nodded in understanding.
"Alright then, I'll think of other ways to keep her in the village for a few days, until her mood stabilizes."
Shao Yun nodded satisfactorily: "That's settled. In a few days, once Jeht's emotions are stable, we will escort her to the Tanit tribe together."
Seeing Shao Yun agree, Candace even joked a little.
"Great, thank you. Since that's settled, you can forget about the water waste incident from a few days ago."
Seeing Candace suddenly bring up the past, Shao Yun grimaced: "Oh… please spare me, Miss Candace."
Candace waved her hand: "Just joking. I'll go settle Jeht for now."
Shao Yun waved back: "Alright, goodbye then."
...
After several days of rest and recuperation, Jeht finally regained control of her emotions.
Her mood was no longer restless and anxious; instead, a rare calm and composure took hold, fully focused on ensuring her parents' relics were settled in the [Eternal Oasis].
Seeing Jeht stable, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon decided to set out to meet her and escort her to the Tanit tribe.
Considering the long journey and need for horseback travel, Lumine changed into her "Cowgirl Gunslinger" outfit.
That morning, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon arrived at Jeht's temporary residence.
Jeht was checking her personal belongings in her satchel and the axe left behind by her father.
As she checked, she quietly asked the small elemental construct [Benben] beside her: "Benben, I've packed my things. Are you ready?"
Benben responded with a series of faint mechanical sounds.
From its slightly sluggish movements and low-toned sounds, it was clear that something was off with its current state.
Seeing this, Jeht furrowed her brows slightly, observing Benben closely through her eyepatch, murmuring to herself: "Hmm… what's wrong with you these past few days, Benben?"
"Today is an important day. We're about to set off for the Tanit tribe, so get excited!"
At that moment, Paimon waved at Jeht and called out loudly: "Jeht! We're here!"
Hearing the call, Jeht snapped out of her thoughts, her face lighting up with a bright smile as she enthusiastically greeted them: "Ah, Lumine and Paimon, perfect timing! I just finished packing my things."
At that instant, Jeht's eyes fell on Lumine's distinctive "Cowgirl Gunslinger" outfit. A faint blush crept onto her pretty face.
Compared to Lumine's previous white dress, this outfit presented a completely different style.
The clothing accentuated Lumine's heroic and spirited aura, exuding charm and confidence.
"Lumine, this outfit… I've never seen you wear something like this before. It's really great!" Jeht couldn't help but sincerely praise.
However, as soon as she spoke, she realized her emotional reaction seemed unusual, noticing both Lumine and Paimon curiously observing her.
Quickly, Jeht cleared her throat, attempting to mask her nervousness, and turned to greet Shao Yun warmly.
"And Mr. Shao Yun, hello!"
After greeting him, Jeht hurriedly introduced the elemental construct [Benben] standing next to her.
Benben, hearing its name, rotated its parts in response.
Seeing Benben's movements, Jeht smiled and explained to Shao Yun: "See, Benben is greeting you."
Shao Yun stroked his chin, examining the petite elemental construct carefully.
After observing, he greeted Benben: "Hmm, hello… though I can't help but feel it's lacking a bit of its usual vitality."
Jeht, overhearing this, sighed deeply, worry etching her face: "Since returning from Khaj-Nisut a few days ago, Benben has gradually become weaker."
"Ah, I really don't know what to do. I'm worried about Benben!"
At this, curious Paimon leaned closer, eyes wide, studying Benben carefully while murmuring: "Could Benben be hungry?"
Hearing this, Lumine sighed and teasingly responded: "Paimon, don't just project your own constant hunger onto Benben! Benben is probably just low on energy."
Paimon pouted, murmuring: "Isn't that basically the same thing? You're just picking on my words."
Jeht continued: "Actually, I do hope that Benben could be more like Paimon."
"That way, I wouldn't have to constantly guess what Benben is trying to express each time."
"Of course, if that's not possible, it's okay. I'm already satisfied with Benben's current state."
Seeing Benben as it was, Paimon suggested: "Then why don't we ask Faruzan or Tighnari for help? My gut feeling tells me they might be able to solve Benben's current energy problem!"
Lumine frowned at the idea of seeking Focalor or Tinali, thinking it might be too time-consuming.
After a moment, she proposed: "Maybe we can ask Kaveh? With the briefcase he usually carries… Mherak… perhaps he can provide us some useful help."
Paimon's eyes lit up at the suggestion of Kaveh: "Kaveh could work too!"
"Then why don't we focus first on solving Benben's low energy issue, and after that, head to the Tanit tribe?"
...
Shao Yun and the others did indeed go to Kaveh, who was supervising the library construction in Aaru Village. Before entering the construction site, Shao Yun made sure everyone wore safety helmets.
Kaveh did check on Benben, but ultimately was powerless.
The main reason was that Kaveh didn't have sufficient diagnostic tools; relying solely on his 'intuitive force' to check Benben's condition was impossible—a case of clever hands but no rice to cook with.
===BREAK===
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